What is Russia up to in Niger?
Russia has sent military instructors, an air defense system and various equipment to Niger. Moscow strengthens its presence in West Africa.
Russian military instructors have arrived in Niger with an air defense system and other equipment as part of the West African country's strengthening security ties with Moscow, state media reported .
COOPERATION BETWEEN NIGER AND RUSSIA
Niger's military government had agreed in January to step up military cooperation with Russia after expelling French forces helping fight armed rebellions in several Sahel nations. Tele Sahel, a Niger broadcaster, showed the arrival of a Russian transport plane at Niamey airport, announcing on Thursday evening that “the latest military equipment and instructors” from the Russian Defense Ministry had landed in the capital. Russia will help “install an air defense system… to ensure complete control of our airspace,” the service reported.
State-run Niger Radio Television said on its Facebook page that 100 Russian military instructors had arrived in Niamey. There was no immediate comment from Russia, which has sought to increase its influence in Africa by promoting itself as a friendly country without a colonial past on the continent.
THE RECENT COUP D'ETAT
Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, had been a leading partner of the West in the fight against armed fighters in the Sahel, but turned to Russia after a coup last July that toppled President-elect Mohamed Bazoum.In March, Niger decided to revoke its military agreement with the United States that allowed Pentagon personnel to operate on its soil from two bases, including a drone base built at a cost of more than $100 million.
The United States still maintains about 1,000 troops in Niger, but their movements have been restricted since the coup. The head of the military government, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, spoke by telephone in March with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the “ global strategic cooperation” against “current threats,” authorities said at the time, without providing further details.
Niger has joined neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso — also ruled by military leaders after coups — to create a joint force to fight long-running armed rebellions. Violence in the region has worsened since the coups, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in the region bordering the Sahara desert. As of March, more than three million people were displaced there, the International Organization for Migration said this week.
WHERE RUSSIA'S INTEREST COMES FROM: NATURAL RESOURCES
It is obvious – from a strictly political point of view – that Russia's presence in Niger arises from very specific reasons. In short, what are these motivations?
First, Niger is one of the world's leading producers of uranium , a crucial resource for nuclear energy production. Russia, having a significant nuclear industry for both civil and military use, could be particularly interested in guaranteeing stable access to this resource
Secondly, although oil production in Niger is relatively recent and is not yet as large scale as in other African countries, there is significant exploration potential. Natural gas is also an emerging resource that could be of interest to Russia to diversify its energy sources.
Third, in addition to uranium, Niger may have deposits of other important minerals such as gold and possible not yet fully explored deposits of other strategic minerals.
In general, therefore, the presence in Niger and more widely in the Sahel could offer Russia geopolitical advantages, including the possibility of extending its influence in a strategically important area, rich in natural resources, and countering the influence of other global powers like France and the United States. Russia's interest in these resources fits into a broader context of global competition for natural resources and strategic control of geopolitically relevant regions.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/russia-niger-presenza-militare/ on Mon, 15 Apr 2024 07:51:10 +0000.